If you had told me that the Baltimore Orioles would engage in a pitcher’s duel with Tampa tonight at Camden Yards, I might have assumed that Tampa was going to win the game. They’ve had great pitching there for years – when in fact they probably had no business having great pitching. But the O’s and starter Dean Kremer outdid Tampa tonight at their own game. Kremer’s line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K.
Simply put, Dean Kremer was outstanding tonight. Absolutely stellar. And that’s fairly consistent with how he pitched in his other two starts since coming back from injury. But his effort tonight was a step above those other games. It may have been the best outing of his career.
Ryan Mountcastle scored the game’s only run on an RBI-double by Adley Rutschman in the last of the seventh. That was the ballgame’s only run. But when your pitching is as good as Kremer and the Orioles’ bullpen was tonight, that’s all you need.
Jorge Lopez entered the game in the eighth, and once again was stellar. You have to give Lopez a lot of credit for how he’s pitched thus far in 2022. Not only is he doing an outstanding job as a closer, but he seems happier than he was when he was trying to be a starter last year. He’s one of the big reasons why this team appears to be turning a corner. Ever so slightly.
The series continues tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Jeffrey Springs. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.
Birdland Crush 